Problems with the FFS Hi Spec Rear Calipers ?

[Steve A]

Thanks Bob,
I will get them fitted A.S.A.P

[alexg]

Hi Bob,

If its any help I can be at the end of the list as since having them rebuilt I've been careful with the use of the handbrake and they have not leaked yet.
Also is there any info that you need about my setup? I've the got vented rear discs which I assume means the largest width.

Cheers

Alex

[bobbrown]

I have asked Hi Spec to expedited the ones in red as some as cars off the road.
I can jiggle it a bit but will need input to do so
Yellow are the recieved so far.

Hi Spec rear1.jpg

[Gazza]

Bob

Cheers for the update, lets hope they remember about my logo request

See you Sunday

Gazza

[D3DSY]

I found this thread whilst considering fitting Hi-Spec rears (got fronts and love them) now not so sure!
Should I leave it til next spring to see if they have got their $hit together?
Do they make much difference (when they dont leak!)??

[Steve A]

Started fitting the new calipers, going smoothly so far, nice bit of Bob's machining helped ,
haven't introduced brake fluid into the mix yet so fingers crossed.

[Steve A]

can somebody tell me if this zip file worked

[Specky]

Yep it's a zipped file..and you've got a Mac.. that's where I stopped,

TTFN

[Elanlover]

I can't open any files in the zipped folder. What's it supposed to be?

[Steve A]

I'll put some pictures on when I get more time

[saska]

:? can somebody tell me if this zip file worked :roll:

It did and the zip contained a jpg file but it didn't have a file extension to let people know what ought to open it.
Will open in IE/Firefox/most graphics programs

[Specky]

Got it, it opens with Windows explorer...

It's a picture...

TTFN

[Specky]

TTFN

[Alan_C]

They look the same as the old ones. As they should! More to the point, does the handbrake work better than the old ones and will they not leak? You could try standing hard on the foot brake and pulling the handbrake up and down untill your arm aches then see if fluid is pissing out???

[Steve A]

Well as you can see it's all on the car now and bled, thanks to Bob for coming up with the braided hose at very short notice
The hand brake is more than a bit of a handfull and is tending to bind so I disconected it so I could do some road trails
Bleeding the calipers went without any problems and used very little fluid, I will have another look at the hand brake on Monday when I'm off

[Steve A]

Well today as promised I had another look at the hand brake situation,
I now have a 3 click hand brake which I have tested on a very steep hill, I even put it in 1st
to force the car to roll but it stopped quickly when I put the clutch down.
The hand brake is however very stiff to get it to 3 clicks a 2 handed job in fact, as long as the MOT
man is happy then I think you could live with it.
The car would hold on a gentle incline using only 2 clicks but there is a danger as the disc's cool down and contract
you might find your car parked elsewhere, whilst testing the car today I left the car on an incline when I returned
my wife said the car had made some creaking noises and I could physically push it back quite easily
I also found that the rears were still binding a bit so I put a spring between the actuating lever and the cable guide,
this aided the lever to fully return.
The main thing is as I'm sure all you chaps with these brakes want to know, no leaks so far

You could try standing hard on the foot brake and pulling the handbrake up and down untill your arm aches then see if fluid is pissing out?

It pasted this test too

[router]

:) Well today as promised I had another look at the hand brake situation,
I now have a 3 click hand brake which I have tested on a very steep hill, I even put it in 1st
to force the car to roll but it stopped quickly when I put the clutch down.
The hand brake is however very stiff to get it to 3 clicks a 2 handed job in fact, as long as the MOT
man is happy then I think you could live with it.
The car would hold on a gentle incline using only 2 clicks but there is a danger as the disc's cool down and contract
you might find your car parked elsewhere, whilst testing the car today I left the car on an incline when I returned
my wife said the car had made some creaking noises and I could physically push it back quite easily
I also found that the rears were still binding a bit so I put a spring between the actuating lever and the cable guide,
this aided the lever to fully return.
The main thing is as I'm sure all you chaps with these brakes want to know, no leaks so far

You could try standing hard on the foot brake and pulling the handbrake up and down untill your arm aches then see if fluid is pissing out?

Sounds to me like the handbrake situation is still not fixed.....
A 2 handed handbrake pull = too much effort for the mot, with the car creaking on a hill doesnt inspire me with confidence on the operation and reliability that the cars still going to be in the same place as you have left it..

[RayD]

Is it possible to quantify how much effort is needed to operate the caliper lever without using the cable … on an un-installed caliper can you for instance push the lever through its full travel using your thumb … and what’s it like with the fluid in, and the pads out … will it operate by hand ... would the mechanism stand a longer lever and the cable housing moving out, I wonder?

Ray

[Monty]

Make sure there`s a bit of slack in the cables when the handbrake is in the off position.

[Alan_C]

I'm getting pretty chufed off with all this. Mine didn't leak but really struggled to get through the MOT handbrake test (and they were newly fitted). The tester quite rightly refused to use both hands. I've a mind to get a pair of reconditioned original rear calipers refitted now and right off the Hi Spek rears as a bad experience - no offence to Bob at all, just to Hi Spek for a shoddy product.